President Joe Biden has banned federal immigration agencies from using terms such as “alien,” “assimilation,” and “illegal alien” in official documents and statements.
The Biden administration sent memos to immigration officials on Monday detailing the changes in a move that is partly a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration issues, according to The Washington Post. The order is part of a larger effort to roll back Trump’s immigration policies.
The memo orders immigration officials to make changes in rhetoric such as substituting “noncitizen or migrant” for “alien,” “undocumented” for “illegal,” and “integration” for “assimilation.”
“In response to the vision set by the Administration, ICE will ensure agency communications use the preferred terminology and inclusive language,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Tae Johnson said in a memo.
The memos are also a clear message to immigration officials and officers who supported Trump that Biden is now in charge of immigration policy, and so immigration officials should behave accordingly, the Post reported.
“As the nation’s premier law enforcement agency, we set a tone and example for our country and partners across the world,” Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) head Troy Miller said in a memo. “We enforce our nation’s laws while also maintaining the dignity of every individual with whom we interact. The words we use matter and will serve to further confer that dignity to those in our custody.”- READ MORE
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